


Painfully Awake

by BatJunior



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Anxiety, Bullying, Bunker 9, Chaptered, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Falling In Love, Healing, Infirmary stay, Inner Strength, LGBTQ Character, Longing, Loss of Control, M/M, Magic, Mental Health Issues, Misunderstandings, Piper is a horrible person, Relationship(s), Romance, Slow Burn, Thanatos daughter, Tragedy, Wings, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2018-12-11 20:39:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11722140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatJunior/pseuds/BatJunior
Summary: A daughter of death, unloved and unknown by all. She is the unknown variable, constantly shifting, never staying in one place long enough for anyone to remember her face, but after years alone, struggling to keep her own demons at bay she finds herself stuck Camp Half Blood, injured and with no way home. Are the other demigods really as bad as she had been lead to believe? or will someone help her see that she is more than just her past?





	1. Minotaur

Freya ducked behind a row of neatly stacked green rubbish bins. She pressed her back flush against the cold surface. Her heart was pounding against her chest, like a rubber ball pounding against a wooden paddle. If only she hadn’t gotten up this morning, this day could have gone so different. A loud snort from behind her startled Freya to the point that she had to slap a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry of not only surprise and gut wrenching fear. The huffing grew louder as he approached Freya’s hiding spot. She could hear his heavy footsteps and the low growls emanating from his throat.

Freya gripped her Stygian Iron dagger tighter, her knuckles were white around the hilt of the blade. ‘Gods, please help me.’ She silently pleaded. A loud angry roar echoed through the alley, it shook the windows overhead and caused the fire escape, that was a few feet from her to rattle violently against the brick wall, but the sound of crunching plastic was the one sound that made her blood freeze. Several of the plastic bins to Freya’s right were thrown to the side. A large, gaping hole was pierced through the side of the bins, the top had popped off and was hanging by a single hinge and a large hoof print was permanently imprinted just below the gaping hole. The Minotaur gave another angry roar and stomped off further down the alley, huffing angrily to himself.

It wasn’t until the alley became quiet and Freya could no longer hear his angry huffs of the Minotaur did she release her hand from over her mouth. Slowly Freya rose onto shaky legs, her entire body ached with exhaustion. She’s been running for miles, trying to deter the monster to a less crowded part of the city but Freya knew that once the adrenaline wears off the pain will be ten times worse if the blood soaking into the side of her black, maxi dress was anything to go by. The open wound stung but the pain was tolerable.

She gently touched the tips of her fingers to the exposed flesh on her left side. One of the Minotaur’s horns had grazed her side, tearing apart her flesh, although with the warm blood dribbling down the side of her face it was hard to tell which of her wounds was worse. 

Freya crept back along the alley in the opposite direction of the Minotaur. She kept to the shadows, avoiding the street lights and ducking into doorways when passed her on the street. She couldn’t take the chance that one of the passers by was a monster in disguise and with all the blood Freya was bound to attract the wrong attention. 

It wasn’t long before she reached the edge of town. She ducked in between scores of thick trees and headed in the direction she vaguely recalled Nico saying Camp Half Blood was. Freya was lost, scared, covered in her own blood and had nothing left but a single Drachma, a bow with no arrows, a magic compact mirror, and a dagger. How she had survived this long was beyond her.

A sudden tremble beneath her feet caused the young demigod to pause. She crouched down and placed her palm flat against the dry earth. There was another loud boom. Freya didn’t need to feel the earth to know that it was shaking, small rocks and twigs that littered the forest floor visibly shook, had it not been for Freya’s firm grip on a bulging tree root, the force of the quake would have sent her tumbling to the ground.

Her golden eyes scanned the dark expanse of the forest, the full moon overhead cast a slither of light through the forest but it did little to help identify her surroundings, it was too dark and the low hanging fog did little to help matters. A loud, angry growl, like a bull ready to charge screamed from behind her, a little too close for comfort. It sent pin pricks of fear coursing through her veins. Freya didn’t even have time to process the sound before she jumped back onto her bare feet and raced back through the dense forest. She jumped over protruding tree roots and ducked and weaved between the thick tree trunks. The footsteps like crackling thunder grew louder and more hurried as the Minotaur quickly approached. From the corner of her eye, she could see whole trees sail through the air, having been plucked from the ground from the sheer blunt force of the hulking bull. Freya knew she could not outrun him and in her state, she could not fight him without being run through like a shish kabob, she was running out of options and fast.

Several feet ahead there was a steep embankment and at the top, beyond the thick fog, there was a familiar glow of fire. Freya silently prayed that it was the fire at the gates of Camp Half Blood and not a simple camp fire. Freya threw herself to the side suddenly, ducking and rolling across the dry dirt, her bare arms scraped painfully against the earth and large rocks, sticking forth with the sole purpose of tearing her skin to pieces. Freya rolled back onto her feet and without a second thought, or time to take a battered breath, she released her Stygian Iron dagger. It soared through the air, seemingly in slow motion, nothing else mattered except for the dagger, soaring high and cutting through the thick fog and dark air.

A loud whistle echoed through the trees as the dagger lodged itself in the Minotaur’s left eye. He growled out in pain, his head forced back from the force of the dagger. Freya didn’t waste another second, she turned and with what was left of her strength she sprinted up the steep hill before her. Her legs burned and her bloodied feet ached but all she could focus on was the glow of the roaring fire that was slowly, too slowly coming into view. Freya opened her mouth, ready to scream for help, help she hoped would come, but the words never left her lips.

Pain radiated from the base of her spine and spread outward, through every cell in her body, it was the most agonizing pain the daughter of Death has ever felt. The wood of her bow broke and splintered against her skin, embedding small shards of wood in her pale flesh. The next thing Freya knew she was lying on the ground, her vision blurred. In the distance two blurry figures approached quickly, screaming something Freya couldn’t quite hear through the high pitched whistling in her ears. 

Safety. That was her last thought before darkness claimed her.


	2. Two blondes and an angry Angel!

The days kind of blurred together into a mush of blurry images and pain- lots of pain, but there was always one constant among Freya’s half-formed memories. There was a blonde boy, he’s always sitting in the corner of her view. His eyes are a deep shade of blue, like the sky, clear and unmovable. The first memory she had of him he was standing by the door, clutching the hilt of his Imperial gold sword. His face was a mix of fear and worry, the deep lines etched in his forehead made him look older than he was. There was no mistaking the blood stains soaked into his white shirt and smeared across his hands and biceps.

The last image Freya had of him, he was asleep in the chair by her bedside, his head was coked to the side, his mouth wide open and a trail of drool was running down the side of his face. He was still wearing the same bloodied shirt but his skin was no longer painted in crimson. The sight of him was equal amounts of adorable and disgusting. She didn’t know his name and hasn’t heard his voice but she could pick his face out of a crowd without taking a second glance. It was a disconcerting feeling, realizing that this strange boy has been by her side since she arrived. The only person who has ever been kind to her is Nico Di Angelo, everyone Freya has ever met has been terrified of her, afraid of what she could do to them but Nico was different, he took her off the streets when she was ten years old, gave her a safe place to live with clean water and food that wasn’t rescued out of a dumpster. He rescued her and there is nothing Freya can do to repay him for everything he’s done for her but that won't stop her from trying.

It would come to no surprise to Freya if the blonde was here to make sure she did not harm those in this infernal camp.

She traced the tips of her fingers over the white scars littering her pale arms. She must have been unconscious for longer than she originally thought because the majority of her wounds had healed, including the deep wound that had plagued her left side which was now little more than an angry red scar.

Golden, honey eyes scanned the small room. The sun had come up long ago, bathing the small room in a bright glow. The only window in the room was small and sat on the far wall to the right but it was in such a place that it caught the sun head-on, the bright light coupled with the pale blue walls and the bright yellow door was sickening and made the room appear far too bright and upbeat. There wasn’t anything that could be done to make the room more appealing unless they bulldoze the place and started from scratch.

Slowly Freya lowered herself back against the mountain of colorful pillows, being careful not to jostle her aching back. The only upside of ending up at Camp Half-Blood was that the bed was as soft as a feather, it was like lying on a fluffy cloud. Just as Freya was beginning to get comfortable the door squeaked open. A mop of blonde hair poked around the hideous yellow door. At first glance, he looked like the strange boy who has stuck by her side these last few days but upon further inspection, she realized he was not. He had the same blonde hair and the same deep blue eyes but that was where the similarities stopped. This blonde was tall but not freakishly so, he had a light dusting of freckles over his nose but it was barely noticeable under his dark tan, the kind of tan you get after spending several hours a day lying under the hot sun. “Morning,” he greeted warmly. He moved further into the room, leaving the door open behind him. He was wearing a pair of green scrubs which wouldn’t have been so unsettling if he wasn’t also wearing bright orange sandals.

“You probably don’t remember me,” at Freya’s flat look he continued, “I’m Will Solace, lead medic here at camp and Head counselor of the Apollo Cabin.”Of course, he is Apollo’s boy, how could she not have realized that this blonde moron was the child of the bigger blonde moron.

Will plopped himself down on the stool by her bedside with about as much grace as a baby elephant. He cleared his throat awkwardly and pushed himself closer to the bed so that he could rest his arms on the metal rail. “How are you feeling? You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the past three days, so it’s been a bit difficult to get any information out of you.”  
“Sore, I suppose.” It’s the first time Freya has heard her own voice in days and frankly she doesn’t recognize her own voice, she sounds brittle and hoarse like she’s been screaming nonstop for the past hour. “Not that I am ungrateful for your help but when can I leave?”  
”Uh, when you’re properly healed we can get you out of here, but we’ll need to set you up in the Hermes cabin until we find out who your Godly parent-”  
”I already know who my father is and frankly I don’t want to stay here any longer than need be.” She didn’t mean to snap but being this close to people, living people made her skin crawl, especially with the knowledge that at any second she could accidentally kill him with a single touch.

From the corner of her eye Freya could see Will’s jaw clench and his eyes narrow but just as quickly his smile was back and Will was leaning in closer. He tilted his head to the side, his chin resting on the palm of his clenched hand. “If you want to leave no one’s going to stop you, but could I at least know your name? I seem to be at a bit of a disadvantage here.”  
‘Not that you could stop me’. It was on the tip of her tongue but it wouldn’t do her any favors if she continued to anger the one person who can give her a clean bill of health but that didn’t mean she had to like it. “Holloway.” Her fingers absentmindedly played with a loose thread on the pristine white blanket. “Freya Holloway.”  
”Well, it’s nice to meet you, Freya Holloway.”

***

Will spent the next twenty minutes going over her injuries and trying to not so subtly pry more information out of her, but the son of Apollo wasn’t as slick as he liked to believe. “Most of your wounds have healed with minimum scaring but I’m still concerned with your back. There was no breakage or any sort of damage to your spinal cord but there’s still significant bruising between your shoulder blades, even with all the nectar and unicorn drought we’ve been feeding you they still haven’t healed.” Will chewed on the tip of his blue pen as he flicked through the notes on his clipboard. He looked up suddenly, his pen still wedged between his thin lips. “Do you mind if I take another look?”

Freya suppressed a sigh. Her patience was wearing thin and she didn’t want some strange, overly chipper boy poking at her back, but if it meant she could leave here sooner than she would do anything. She settled for nodding instead. Will instructed her to swivel around so that her back was facing him. The metal railing of the bed clicked and squeaked as they were dragged down, giving Will better access to her back. “I’m just going to move aside the gown.” She hummed in response.

Surprisingly his hands were warm and held none of the nervousness that she had expected. He was rather clinical and worked with such precision. It was rather obvious that he has been a healer for some time, probably long before he came to Camp Half-Blood. But Freya wouldn’t dwell on facts she currently had no desire to learn. He worked swiftly, pressing his fingers into the tender flesh between her shoulder blades. He was silent from that point on which Freya greatly appreciated. Being around the living was difficult enough without adding unnecessarily small talk to the mix.

A bolt of pain jolted up her spine so suddenly that Freya jumped away from the medic. Her knees smashed painfully against the metal railing. “Shit,” she cursed between clenched teeth. The pain was like a wave, the initial blast was like liquid fire but as the water withdrew it took with it most of the pain, leaving behind a deep ache that settled deep within her bones. “I don’t understand-” Will mumbled to himself but she tuned him out. He kept going on about there being no reason for the bruising or the pain, but at this point, she no longer cared. Her skin felt tight like it was pulled taut against her sharp bones. She felt constricted, tied down with no room to move and no room to breathe.

Warm hands settled on her shoulders. “Stay where you are, I’ll get something for the pain. Try not to move too much.” His sandals squeaked against the floor as Will raced out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

The room was silent again, nothing but Freya’s ragged breathing filled the room. She tipped her head back, amber eyes gazed up at the white ceiling as she tried to steady her heavy breathing. An all too familiar ache rippled up her spine and across her shoulders, the pain was so familiar that it almost felt comforting in this strange place, almost. Closing her eyes, Freya took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Pain flared along her spine and her muscles rippled, contracting and releasing as a pressure grew beneath the surface of her skin until it exploded, the pain immediately lessened and the presser dissolved. Freya felt as though she could finally breathe but with that came the aching need to get up and do something.

From the corner of her eyes she glanced towards the still closed door and with one fluid motion, she jumped off the bed. Despite the warm sun filtering in through the window, the floorboards were still cold beneath her bare feet. She adjusted the sides of the hospital like gown, allowing her new appendages room to move. Feathers ruffled. The tips of her fingers traced the delicate lines of think bones and soft feathers. It’s been months since she’s left them out, let herself be fully free.

The door suddenly flew open with a bang. Freya jumped, not expecting the sound. Her wings extended to their full length, catching the light. She was faced with three wide-eyed and shocked teens. Will stood at the front of the small crowd, his mouth was wide open and he was in the midst of pulling on a pair of latex gloves. Behind him was a small brown haired girl, her features were similar to Will’s but there were noticeable differences, like her eyes which were as dark as coffee beans and she had a darkness to her skin that could never be achieved by the sun alone. She too was dressed in a pair of green scrubs but unlike Will, she wore a pair of white sneakers. However, Freya’s eyes were instantly drawn to the other occupant in the room. He was taller than the others with close-cropped blonde hair and stormy blue eyes. He held himself in a way that demanded respect and attention. There was no mistaking him, he was definitely ad undeniably the person who has stuck so closely to her side these few days.

“Uh,” Will mumbled. His eyes were fixated to the point just beside her head where her wings fluttered under their intense gaze.   
”What?” Freya finally snapped. She wasn’t accustomed to being stared at or even noticed for that matter. “Honestly, close your mouth before you start catching fly’s you moron.” Will’s jaw snapped shut with an audible ‘click’. Another beat of silence passed between them. Their wide-eyed stares were beginning to grate on her last nerve. The girl was the first to snap to attention. She smacked Will’s arm none too gently and not so subtlety indicated towards Freya with her head. Her long braid fell over her shoulder but she made no move to push it back. “Right,” Will cleared his throat awkwardly. It was like a switch ticked over in his mind, turning him back to the overly friendly medic. Will quickly slipped his gloves on and gestured for Freya to take a seat on the bed. Gingerly she lowered herself onto the edge of the bed, her back as straight as a rode.

Freya diverted her gaze to the small window as the two medics ducked behind her large black wings. From the corner of her eye, she caught the blue and purple hues flicking across the thick feathers but paid them little attention. The first time they appeared she was nine years old, all she really remembers of that night is the blood and the pain, agonizing pain, there are no words that can describe that sort of pain. The next morning Freya remembers picking herself up from the ground. Her clothes were torn to shreds and she was completely covered in blood, her blood. All she remembers after that is running and then darkness. It’s not a time she likes to think about, ever.

A pair of cold hands upon the crevice of her back and wings caused Freya to jolt. “Sorry.” Will’s mop of blonde hair popped out from beneath one of her wings. His bright smile still in place. “All the bruising is gone, there doesn’t seem to be any noticeable damage to your…wings,” he hesitated but his smile didn’t waver in the slightest.

”So I can leave?”  
”Don’t be such an eager beaver. I want to keep you here till tomorrow morning for observation. Doctors orders.” Freya opened her mouth to retort, she didn’t see the need to stay any longer than need be. However, Will cut her off before she could get out a single world. “Olive, before you clock off could you duck down to the dining pavilion for me and grab some breakfast for Freya?”   
”Yea, course.” The young girl had a deep Spanish accent- which Freya was extremely jealous of, having moved to America 10 years ago her own accent from her home of Croatia has long since vanished.

“Now,” Will said as he seated himself back into the chair he had been occupying before. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”  
”because I don’t know you and I certainly don’t trust you.” She replied curtly.   
”I understand that believe me, I do.You don’t know me and I don’t know you but I’m your doctor and as your doctor I need to know these things, I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s going on and you keeping these big secrets like this could be detrimental to your health. If you aren’t honest with me from this point on Freya, I’m not sure I can consciously let you leave without being one hundred percent sure that you won't collapse and die as soon as you step foot outside this camp.”  
”You have no choice in the matter anymore.” With a flutter of her wings, they shrunk back into her skin, leaving behind nothing but an old scar running down either side of her pale back. “Once the sun has risen I will be leaving this pathetic camp, regardless of if I spill my entire life's story to you, which I will not be doing.”

”What is your problem?” the blonde from earlier stormed closer, his face was set in a deep scowl, his eyes ablaze with fury. He situated himself beside the wide-eyed medic. “Ever since you got here, everyone has been nothing but kind to you and all I’ve heard you say is how much you hate this camp and everyone in it. Like you said before, you don’t know us and we don’t know you. You can’t judge someone based-”  
”You want to talk about judgment?” she roared. Freya has had enough of these demigods and being scolded like some child. “How about the judgment you lot have inflicted upon those of us from the Underworld,” if he wants to complain about this then Freya will gladly open his eyes to all the horrid stories she has heard of this place. “My best friend has told me all about this place and the rumors you lot spread, the whispered remarks about how we a freaks, monsters and wild animals, how we mean nothing more than a piece of shit that has been smeared on the bottom of your shoe. I have heard all about how those of us from Hades domain are looked down upon, how you glare as we pass, mock us and spread your filthy little lies. The only time you and the rest of the demigod population approach one of us is to ask for a favor and then you turn your backs on us and pretend as though we do not exist.

I have heard far too many stories about you lot and you need to make those of us who are different feel like we are worthless. So, Mr tall and blonde I do not need to get to know you to figure out that you are all a bunch of assholes. My opinion of you was formed long ago when I was approached by a boy who was driven from this camp for the same reason that I do not wish to stay here, and the only reason you have not begun to treat me as you have him is because you are both too thick headed to figure out that I am Thanatos’ daughter!”

The floorboards squeaked and groaned. Freya’s head whipped towards the door, where the shadows were now the thickest, obscuring her vision of the small figure leaning against the door frame. “I heard there was an angel in the infirmary. I figured it was you.” The corners of her lips curled up in a barely there smile.  
”Nico.”


	3. Calm before the storm

Freya’s memories of the son of Hades were clear in her mind, but the boy standing before her did not resemble the boy she remembered from several months ago. His skin was far too pale and pulled taut across his bones, which seem to protrude at every angle. His dark eyes were lined with even darker circles and his cheeks were sunken in. The Nico before her resembles a corpse, walking and talking but still a corpse. His aviator jacket which had always been a few sizes too big now looked like a dress, hanging off his bony frame almost as if it were wearing him rather than the other way around.

Freya wanted to reach out and pull Nico into her arms and never let go but she knew that he would resist the physical contact. “What happened to you?” she settled for instead. Nico’s eyes darted towards the two blondes before settling back on her.

“I’ll tell you about it later,” he replied. Nico shuffled out of the safe confines of the shadow covered doorway. His shoulders were hunched, and he seemed to be sinking in on himself, trying to appear smaller and less threatening.

Now that he stood in the light Nico looked a thousand times worse. He appeared to be nothing more than a skeleton covered in a thin sheen of flesh. At the very state of him, Freya could not help the tears that burned at the edges of her vision. She wanted to scream, scream and yell at the child of Apollo and the other useless campers that allowed her cousin, her dearest friend to become something hollow. But as Will dodged by her, his sandal covered feet smacking against the cold floors, Freya decided to keep her mouth firmly shut.

The medic’s hands instinctively went to Nico’s face, tilting his head this way and that, looking for any sign of pain or injury. Nico tried to bat his hands away, cursing the blonde in his native tongue- Italian. 

“What are you doing? Get off me!” Nico protested. Will pretended he had not heard Nico’s protests and instead moved his hands to pinch at the Italian’s bonny arms.

“When was the last time you ate anything?” Will asked. His brow frowned in confusion and what looked like a hint of fear danced across the son of Apollo’s stony expression.

Nico answered through gritted teeth, “twenty minutes ago.” He batted away the medic’s hands, keeping his glare in place but Freya was not fooled, she noticed the pink flush to her friend’s cheeks and the gentle flutter of his eyelashes. It was no secret between them, Freya knew that Nico fancied men, she had known for a while now but has never seen him act so shy towards anyone, not even his father Hades. This boy; Will, must hold some sway over her dear friend. Interesting.

“Gods Solace,” Nico grumbled, “Stop hovering.” The blonde reluctantly pulled away. His hands hovered in the space between them for a moment before Will lowered them to his sides with a huff.

“Jason,” Will said. He gestured his head towards the open doorway, “Come on. Let’s give these two some time to catch you. And you,” he turned back to address Nico, “You will come and see me before you leave. You need a proper examination.” His voice left little room for argument. Nico rolled his eyes but otherwise made no room to argue.

Freya lowered herself onto the edge of the bed and waited silently as the blondes left. Jason seemed to hesitate in the doorway, his eyes lingered on her, seeming to take in every ounce of detail he could muster before he turned and slowly trailed down the hall after Will.

“Will you answer my question now?” Freya asked. Nico sighed. His shoulders sagged, and he seemed to curl further into himself. His long legs quickly strode across the room and with a grace that only he could muster, lowered himself onto the bed beside Freya and heaved another sigh.

“Tartarus,” he answered simply. A wave of dread flowed through her.

”I had heard rumours,” she mumbled, “but I'd hoped they weren’t true.” Rumours spread fast in the Underworld. Over the past few months rumours had surfaced that a child of Hades had fallen into the pit. However there were many holes in the stories told by the spirits and many different versions of the same story, so Freya had dismissed them and thought nothing more of it. It hadn’t even occurred to her to search for her friend, to make sure that the rumours were just that; rumours.

 “How long were you down there?” she whispered. Even to her own ears, her voice sounded so small.

”I don’t know,” Nico replied, “a few weeks I think.” _A few weeks._ He had been gone for a few weeks and she hadn’t even noticed something was wrong. How could she not have noticed that something was wrong?

Nico’s warm voice continued. “Funnily enough I was pulled out by the giants Otis and Ephiaites.”

”Then what happened?” Nico turned to face Freya, his eyebrows raised in silent question. “Well, obviously they didn’t just let you go.”

Nico sighed, "No, they didn't." He looked so broken, she realized. His eyes no longer danced with mischief and his lips remained turned down in a permanent frown, there was no life left in him. He was nothing more than an empty husk. “They held me prisoner in a bronze jar for several long days before Percy and the others rescued me. I owe them my life.” There was an argument waiting on the tip of her tongue. Freya wanted to protest, tell Nico that he didn’t owe them anything, not after how they have treated him over the years, but she couldn’t seem to voice her concerns. The look in Nico’s eyes was so startling that she couldn’t speak, instead, Freya lent forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Nico did not react at first but after a moment of silence he wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed tightly.

A warm feeling flooded her chest, like liquid fire racing down the side of a mountain. Over Nico’s shoulder, her eyes caught sight of the deep green scales of the serpent that was wrapped tightly around her right wrist. Red eyes like rubies blinked up at her from between clusters of screen scales. The serpent slowly closed its eyes, finding nothing of interest to look at and sunk its teeth further into her wrist. Freya couldn’t help but smile at the sight of it. The pain of the serpent’s fangs sinking into her flesh no longer bothered her. The pain of its venom was so dull that she barely felt it but it was the knowledge that without Nico’s help she would still be a prisoner to her powers, still stuck hiding in the shadows, no longer able to feel the warmth of someone’s embrace. Because of him Freya discovered herself, was gifted the serpent whose venom dulls her powers, allows her the pleasure of touch without the fear of her powers consuming her and turning those around her to dust, dissolving their very soul until there is nothing left of them but a pile of ash. Nico has given so much for her, now it is her turn to return the favour.

Freya pulled away from the warm circle of her friend’s arms. She kept her hands on his shoulders so that he wouldn’t pull too far away like Nico was known to do when physical contact occurred. “All this talk of emotions and daring rescues has me in the mood for a little mischief. What do you say, cousin, care to join me on a tirade around camp?”

“I would enjoy nothing more,” Nico smirked, “but if I allow you to leave the infirmary then I will forever have to listen to Will Solace whine about how patients need their rest and blah blah blah.” There was no malice to his words when he talked about the son of Apollo, he almost sounded found of the other demigod.

“It seems that you have made friends, should I be jealous?”  
”Friends? No. Solace and I aren’t friends, he’s more of a tolerable nuisance.” If Will Solace was indeed a tolerable nuisance then Nico would never have allowed the blonde to touch him, let along fawn over him like a mother hen.

“Is that why you let him fawn all over you?”  
“I did not! -” Nico tried to protest. He quickly pulled away from her touch but was unable to finish his sentence as Olive, the dark-haired girl from earlier returned. In her thin arms, she carried a silver tray, topped with all sorts of food; fresh fruits, toast, orange juice, yogurt, even pancakes covered in maple syrup and butter. The sight alone made Freya’ empty stomach growl with a deep hunger. Olive smiled shyly at the pair as she placed the tray down on the small table by the bed. “I didn’t know what you liked so I grabbed a bit of everything.”

The corners of Freya’s lips turned up into an almost smile, “Appreciated.”

Olive nodded. Her eyes darted between them. Her eyes held no fear or contempt, no horror or anger, although that could easily change with time. It wouldn’t take much for her gaze to turn hateful. If Freya has learned anything since finding out about her demigod heritage was that you don’t trust first impressions because people can change quicker than you can snap your fingers.

 

***

After breakfast, Freya found herself alone again. Nico left to finish his duties around camp but not before making a detour to visit Will for his check-up. She promised herself that she would tease him endlessly about it later. Freya was sad to see him go but knew it would not be the last time she saw her dear friend before parting ways with Camp Half-Blood.

After the events of that morning, Freya was feeling rather tired. She lay back against the abundance of pillows and sighed in relief when her back no longer protested at the movement. The bed was soft and comfortable like floating through the clouds on a sunny day. All that was missing was the wind whipping through her hair.

 Freya opened her eyes sometime later, noting that it was growing dark outside. She stretched her arms out over her head until her shoulders popped. She sighed, feeling her wings flutter beneath her skin. It felt good to let them out, even for a brief time. At home, she prefers to keep them hidden, even though her father insists she shows them off.

Freya dragged herself from the bed and quickly crossed the room. The floor was cold beneath her bare feet. She pressed her ear to the closed door, listening for any sound of life but there wasn't anything to note, no footsteps, no chatty kids of Apollo milling about. Slowly, she edged the door open and peered out. The hallway was lit by fluorescent lights that made the white walls appear even brighter. At the other end of the hall were several empty cots, some of which were surrounded by pale blue curtains.

Quietly Freya left the room, her feet barely touching the ground before she took another step. She made it outside without anyone noticing, not even those curled up in the cots noticed as Freya snuck past.

The fresh air smelt strongly of strawberries and fertilizer. She stretched her arms out, feeling the cool air brush through her unruly hair. Freya sighed in content. She moved her hair to the side and unclasped the top button that ran down her back. She rolled her shoulders, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before unleashing her wings.

“You’re not as sneaky as you think.” Freya bit her bottom lip to stop herself from growling as the son of Apollo stepped out from behind her. “Enjoying camp?” Will asked.

“No,” she answered. She ruffled her feathers, feeling the need to hide them away from his eyes, even though he had not cast them a single glance.

“It’s nice out here,” Will continued. “Even more so in the morning. If you get up early enough, you can see the sunrise from just over there.” He pointed to a spot in the distance, but it was almost impossible to see what he was pointing at through the darkness.

“What do you want son of Apollo?”  
Will smiled down at her but his smile never reached his eyes. “I thought you could use some company and someone to talk to.” He paused before continuing, “What you said this morning, to Jason, you weren’t wrong, not about how we’ve all been treating Nico. It’s not right and there are those of us who have been trying to make an effort to include him, make him feel welcome. It’s slow going but I don’t want you to think that we would treat you any differently because of who your godly parent is. I can’t say that there won’t be people who will judge you because there will be but in saying that, there are some of us who would like you to stay here at camp.”

Freya scoffed, “You mean Nico. Nico is the only one who wishes for me to stay.”  
“And me. You’re a good friend to Nico, Freya and right now, he could use a friend.” Freya felt anger bubble well up in her, like a fiery chasm. She turned towards Will, spreading her wings out to their full width.

“He has always needed a friend. Unlike the rest of you, Nico has always treated those of this camp with respect.” Will’s eyes flickered to appendages hanging by her shoulders but just as quickly his blue eyes met her own golden ones. “I’ve had enough fresh air, I think I’ll go back to bed.” She let her wings shrink into her back with a barely concealed grimace. Freya turned, making her way back inside but she had only taken a single step when Will grabbed her arm, halting her. “One more day,” he pleaded, “Stay one more day. Please, I haven’t seen Nico smile since the war.” Freya ripped her arm out of Will’s hold, she didn’t answer him.


	4. The orb of Thanatos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freya loses something important. Will manages to turn into a kicked puppy and Jason tries to be nice.

Freya did not get any sleep that night. She lay awake in her cot, staring up at the ceiling until the first rays of light penetrated the flimsy curtains of her room. She pulled herself out of the cot with a groan, listening to the sounds of the children of Apollo milling around outside her room. 

She quickly changed into a pair of denim shorts and a black tank top that she had not so kindly asked one of the medics for last night. 

Freya had just finished pulling the shirt over her head when the door opened, and Will popped his head inside. “Morning,” he said but he did not sound as chipper as he had the previous day, nor did his smile reach his eyes. The daughter of Thanatos nodded her head in greeting. She was still mad about their previous exchange.

Will held up a small plastic bag. “I brought your things down from inventory, thought you might like to check them over before you leave.” She took the bag from him, with not so much as a single word spoken. Freya dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed. There were bits and pieces of her broken bow and quiver. Beneath all the rubble was a small brown fraying pouch. It felt lighter in her hand. Freya instantly knew something was missing. She unzipped it quickly and cursed venomously. There was a single Drachma and a small magic compact mirror inside but the most important of her belongings was missing.

“Where is it?” Freya grit out between clenched teeth. Will, who had been gathering up the discarded sheets she had thrown onto the floor sometime during the night, looked up, startled.   
“Where’s what?”  
“Do not act stupid. The orb that was in this bag, where is it?”  
Will placed the sheets down on the bed. He did not look guilty, nor angry, just surprised. “I don’t know about any orb, Freya. The first time I saw that bag was when I pulled it out of inventory.”  
“Who else had access to it?”  
“Just Olive and I.” He said. Will moved aside the broken pieces of her bow so that he could sit on the edge of the bed, beside where she still stood. “We’re the only ones that have keys to the inventory locker but…Jason and Clarise were the ones that brought you in, maybe they know where it is?” 

Jason. Her mind went blank with rage at that name. Freya was still mad about their argument the previous day and with her ability to hold long-standing grudges – she would be mad at him for some time to come.

“Where can I find him?” Will paused. His eyes were wide. He placed his hands out in front of him, in a placid gesture which only fuelled her anger. “Perhaps we should take a deep breath and look-”  
“If the next words to come out of your mouth are to calm down, I will disembowel you, Son of Apollo.” Freya had the thought to storm out of the infirmary, hunt down Jason and throttle him until he handed over the orb, but she had no idea where to find him and would rather not spend any more unnecessary time in the camp. 

“I wasn’t going to say that,” Will said, “I was going to suggest that perhaps it fell out of your bag on its way to the inventory locker.” Freya held up the bag for him to see.  
“It was closed.” She said. “Listen to me very carefully right now. That orb contains something that could pose a serious issue to this camp, so I suggest you tell me where Jason and this Clarise is.” His eyes roamed over her face, searching for any indication that she was lying. He seemed to find what he was looking for and sighed. “If it is that series,” he said, “Jason is probably on his way to the Arena, he teaches a class in the mornings but I’m not sure where Clarise would be, she tends to do what she wants when she wants to.”  
Freya nodded, “Appreciated.” She still did not like the other demigod but Nico’s tolerance of the Son of Apollo and the blondes obvious like of the Italian made it difficult to truly hate him.

She clutched the purse tightly in her fist and promptly left the room without another word. She vaguely heard Will call out to her and his footsteps thump an unsteady rhythm as he struggled to keep up with her brisk pace, but Freya ignored him, her mind focused solely on finding Jason and getting the orb back. 

On the way to the Arena, other demigods stopped to stare as Freya walked by, some even whispered, wondering who she was and who her godly parent could be, some even taking bets. She ignored them all, even when a particularly chipper blonde girl with a face full of makeup and an unmistakable push-up bra bounced up to her, trying to introduce herself. The daughter of Thanatos grunted and kept walking. She felt a sense of satisfaction when the other girls face dropped, hand still outstretched in greeting. 

A cheesier grin spread across her face when she spotted Jason leaning against the wall of the Arena, by his side was a small dark-skinned girl. Her uneven bangs flapped around her face as she gestured wildly with her hands. They looked to be arguing, not that Freya could muster enough strength to care.

Jason’s blue eyes caught sight of her over the other girl’s shoulder. He straightened, his shoulders visibly tensing. “Freya,” he said. The other girls looked puzzled, her head looking around wildly until her eyes landed on Freya. She would be pretty if she didn’t have an ugly sneer across her face.   
“You,” Freya addressed the blonde. “I will ask you this nicely because Wil sounds as though he is about to have a heart attack.”  
“You run fast,” the son of Apollo panted. He had finally caught up with her, but his face was splotched red, and his breaths were wheezed.  
“I was walking,” Freya replied curtly before turning her attention back to Jason. “When I arrived at this camp did my pouch,” she held up her small brown bag, “happen to fall open and did an orb no bigger than a marble and white in colour fall out?”  
Jason shook his head, “I didn’t see any orb, although at the time I was more concerned with the Minitour.” The brown-haired girl opened her mouth to say something, but Freya quickly cut her off, to which she received a filthy glare. “You’re sure you didn’t see it?”  
“I’m sure,” he said, “but if it’s that important, I’ll help you look for it. I have a class right now but afterwards, I can scout out the front of the camp, see if I spot anything.” Freya nodded her thanks. She turned to Will who was doubled over, his hands pressed against his knees as he breathed deeply.  
“Don’t be such a fool,” she spat. 

Nico needed to be her first stop. His powers of the underworld combined with her own would prove useful in finding the orb and its contents. Freya did not say another word to Jason and his annoying friend as she stormed off in the other direction. She vaguely heard Will apologise to them for her ‘rudeness’ before running to catch up with her, still panting profusely. She was not sure how he had managed to survive thus far.

Freya searched through all the places she thought Nico might hide and with Will’s help, she found his cabin, banging her fists against the black door until she was sure that he was not inside. Freya, by this point, was beyond frustrated. In the Underworld, it had never been this hard to find her cousin.

“You look to be a woman on a mission,” an unfamiliar voice chuckled. Freya spun around, ready to unleash a verbal lashing to whoever dared speak to her but froze at the sight of the centaur. Instead, she said, “That is exactly what I am.” 

He quirked a bushy eyebrow. His eyes travelled to Will, who was still red-faced and struggling to keep up with her hurried steps before his eyes settled back on Freya again. “You must be Miss Holloway.”

“And you must be Chiron. Uncle Hades likes to complain about you every so often.” The centaur’s eyes lit up with amusement. He chuckled warmly. “I can imagine so.” Freya had the distinct impression that no matter what came out of her mouth he would find the humour in it. She liked him. “What has you in such a state this morning Miss Holloway?”  
“A possession of mine has gone missing?” He raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Will again, who Freya could not see without looking over her shoulder. “An orb,” she continued, “a gift from my father in order to help restore the escaped souls to the underworld. It was taken from my possessions whilst I was unconscious.”  
“How many souls are within this orb?”

“Roughly,” she trailed off as she tallied the numbers quietly, “two hundred give or take. If the orb is broken before It is brought back to Hades domain then-”  
“-Then camp half-blood will be overrun with these souls.” Chiron finished. She sighed, running a hand through his hair. “How many people know of this?”  
Freya shrugged, “Only the three of us know the particulars but Jason and his little friend-”

“Piper.” Will supplied

“-know that the orb is missing, not what it contains."

Chiron nodded, “Good, keep it that way, we don’t need the camp reduced to panic.” Freya nodded. She could understand the need for secrecy, especially when it came to situations such as this. “I will assist in whatever way I can.”

“Appreciated,” Freya replied. “There is one more thing though.” At Chiron’s raised brow she continued. “My search for these souls was a punishment from my father. The souls he had me track down were the worst and most vicious on his list, serial killers, terrorists, paedophiles but worse than that, the last soul I collected here in Long Island was an Eidolon.” Will gasped but Freya did not bother to glance in his direction, instead, she watched Chiron’s face, trying to ascertain his thoughts whilst his face remained blank.  
He turned to face Will, “I take it Percy and Annabeth still have not returned.”

“Not yet, no.”   
Chiron nodded, “Very well. Gather Leo, Piper, Jason and Nico. Finding this orb is top priority but make sure the details of this do not reach the other campers.”  
There was not much left to say and so Will lead Freya back to the infirmary, quietly. He kept glancing over at her, opening and closing his mouth but no sound came out and she made no move to ask him what he wanted.

Back inside her room in the infirmary, Freya closed the door in Will’s face. He spluttered for a second, scrapping his shoes across the wooden floor before leaving. Having him hover over her was exhausting and the strange, pleading looks he kept shooting her was only making things more awkward. 

“Boy problems?” The sudden but familiar voice made her jump.

“Nico!” She hissed turning around. The Italian was in the corner of the room, leaning back against the wall with his thin arms crossed over his chest. Without his aviator jacket on he looked so much smaller. “I’ve asked you to stop jumping out of shadows at me!”

Nico chuckled, “I didn’t jump out at you, but I can if you really want me to.” The shadows moved and darkened around him.

“Don’t you dare.” The shadows slithered back but Nico’s smirk did not recede, in fact, it only seemed to widen across his skeleton face. “I’m happy to see you though.” Freya wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Nico did not respond at first but after a second of silence his arms wrapped around her waist, squeezing her just as tightly. 

“You look a little frazzled.”  
“I am,” She admitted. Freya pulled away from her cousin just enough to look him in the eyes. “Someone stole my orb.”  
“The orb Thanatos gave you?” She nodded. “Any idea who took it?”

“No, but the number of people I know in this camp is slim, so it could be anyone.” Freya crossed to the freshly made bed and sunk into its warm confines. The hideous green comforter was surprisingly comfortable. Nico stayed leaning against the wall in the corner.

“We can cross of the Apollo kids, it’s not in their nature to steal.”  
“Will assured me that he and Olive are the only ones with keys to the inventory locker which means someone picked it off my body whilst I was unconscious.”  
“Makes sense,” Nico hummed. “Perfect opportunity for it but there is a question that it poses. How did this person know what they were looking for or that you had it on you?”

“So, we are to assume that they took it because it looked pretty?”

Nico nodded, “Exactly. They probably don’t even know what they have in their possession.” It made sense that a petty pickpocket decided her orb looked valuable enough to steal but even if that were the case, why did they not take her Drachma as well? It was right beside it.

The door swung open with a loud bang causing both children of the Underworld to jump in alarm. Will stood in the doorway, his face flustered and splotched red. “We have a problem.” His eyes darted to Nico, widening ever so slightly before he directed his attention back to Freya. “The camp knows.”

She growled, “What do you mean the camp knows?”

“I was walking down to the dining pavilion and I heard some of the younger kids talking about the orb, so I asked around, everyone knows.”

“How?” Nico demanded.

“I don’t know,” Will answered.


End file.
